Travelling with a Ghost
by DarkTyphlosion
Summary: The name's Zyre. Most people get an awesome starters. My friends Ethan and Lyra got some cool Pokémon. But I got a Pokémon that gives me the creeps and he's... different. So how am I going to take on the Pokemon League with this guy while dealing with what happens to be the most powerful criminal organization in the world of Pokémon?
1. Prologue

Prologue-

It was cold and dark at the top of the tower, more than usual. The pokemon who was keeping watch in the sky flew down. Its body was snakelike and green. There were yellow and red markings all over its body and its eyes were yellow slits with black, tiny pupils.

"The last of its kind, which are not under their control. Its a bit too soon isn't it?" The pokemon murmured sensing another presence.

"We may be wrong. Its just an assumption, Rayquaza." The other pokemon stepped out of the shadows. It was huge and had a grey underside. It was covered in thick red skin. Like Rayquaza, it too had many markings all over its body except they were black. The spikes on its head, body and tail made it seem like a pokemon to be feared, which indeed it was. Its sharp claws glinted in the moonlight dangerously.

"The chances of that are as high as you and Kyogre sticking to the truce between us, Groudon."

Groudon made an effort to keep his temper under control. After all, he was an impatient and short tempered pokemon.

"Low I agree, but we don't know _everything._ Maybe some of them are still left and we don't know yet."

Rayquaza snorted."And if the humans discover the true power of what they have?"

"Humans these days are ignorant and we've been awakened for a reason. I'm doing my best to make sure the last one does not fall into their hands."

Rayquaza didn't need to be told who 'their' was.

"For centuries they have not been able to understand what the power is," Groudon continued.

"Times have changed. They have been getting closer to finding the truth." Rayquaza growled. Rayquaza seemed to think that Groudon didn't understand a thing.

The fire type legendary wasn't a fool but he didn't want to risk the dragon-type legendary's wrath. As much as Groudon hated to admit it he feared Rayquaza. No other Pokemon from the Hoenn region other than Kyogre, could defeat Groudon.

It was time to change the subject. "What about the boy?"

"I don't understand why Arceus chose him! A child!" Rayquaza snarled, muttered a few words and breathed on the floor. An image appeared.

It showed a boy with short, black hair who wore a black sweatshirt and gray trousers. He didn't seem very old and must've been only ten years old. His eyes were a startling gray.

"This-_This _is the one Arceus has chosen. A little boy, completely useless to us-"

"Right now I would rather trust and innocent child than a deceiving adult human." The fire-type spoke quietly which was unlike itself.

Rayquaza glowered at Groudon but seemed to weary of the argument between them. But it was true. Against a powerful enemy all they had was boy who Arceus had chosen to protect their key to surviving. It humiliated the legendaries to think that, after all this time, they relied on a human.

"Arceus is hiding something from us. I can sense it."

"I suspect the same, but for now all we can do is wait and hope there is enough time."

Rayquaza sighed. "How can we hope for what we are fighting against?"

For once, Groudon had no idea what to say.

* * *

><p>I ran as fast as I could to save myself from the deadly pokemon known as Totodile. Okay, to you they may be cute, harmless little Pokemon. To me they are monsters who tear apart their victims apart. Well, at least thats what I thought about this one.<p>

I sprinted towards the small forest outside New Bark town, where I lived and scrambled up a tree. I'd had enough practice climbing those because of Totodile.

"Oh c'mon Zyre, Totodile just likes you. There's no need to run away." A boy with spiky black hair who wore a red shirt and shorts called out to me. He's one of my best friends, Ethan.

"I agree with Ethan." A girl with short brown hair appeared out of nowhere. Her eyes were brown and she wore a pink shirt and a pair of jeans. She's my other friend Lyra.

Yeah right he wants me for a chew toy, I thought.

Totodile jumped up and down like he seemed to agree with them. That didn't help in convincing me.

My name's Zyre Driftlake. I'm just another ordinary twelve-year old from New Bark Town. I live with my grandfather. My mom? She lives and works in Ecruteak City. My dad disappeared when I was a kid.

"Zyre stop acting like a child. Seriously." Lyra rolled her eyes.

"Oh yes, why don't I just come down and get my leg ripped into pieces. How delightful." I replied sarcastically.

"Yeah, why don't you?" Ethan said in an annoyingly cheerful tone.

"Sure. You're just excited because next week we're getting Pokemon." I grumbled.

"What?! You want to stay here? Its so boring."Lyra exclaimed.

"Nope. When did I say that?" The Spinarak hiding in the tree thought it was the perfect time to come out of its hiding place.

Luckily the tree was short. But that didn't protect me from the pain I experienced as I fell to the ground. Fortunately I only got bruised a little on my knee.

Ethan and Lyra burst into laughter. Nice friends.

I hate bug pokemon. Actually only the ones who crawl around and creep me out.

"Sure laugh all you want." I muttered. Totodile came next to me and sat on my injured knee. That didn't help at all.

"Totodile is going to bite me!" Ethan tried to mimic my voice, which caused Lyra to laugh even harder.

"Aw don't look so depressed, Zyre. Remember we're going to get our Pokemon and become trainers."

I glared at the ground. One week seemed like at lot of time especially now. So one more week. One more week to get out of this boring town. One more week to freedom.

* * *

><p>So how was that? I promise the next chapter will come out by next Monday and it'll be longer and better. Seriously, I have a lot of free time now. I know I made Zyre seem a lot more grave and stuff. Don't worry next chapter he'll be the same guy he was. I just have... reasons. xD. So bye till the next chapter.<br>R EVI EW!


	2. The Beginning

Chapter One-The Beginning

I stood in front of the door to the lab. This was the biggest day in my life. It was the beginning of my journey to becoming the Champion of all regions.

The lab was huge. I took me a while to find my way through the maze of books and computers. There were a few researchers already at work. When I finally found Professor Elm, I discovered Ethan and Lyra were already there. Their expressions convinced me that something had gone wrong.

Elm was a middle-aged man who wore a pair of spectacles and a lab coat. Ethan was dressed as usual in his red sweatshirt and gray shorts and Lyra wore a blue shirt and a pair of black jeans.

"What happened?"

The professor looked at me and said, "When I came to the lab, a red-haired boy attacked me and stole a Pokemon."

"Oh Holy Arceus! Are you okay?" I was shocked. No one had ever dared to attack the lab before.

"Yes, except for a few minor injuries. But... Totodile was stolen."

I didn't know how to react. As much as I was scared of Totodile, I didn't hate him.

"The problem now is that there are only two starter pokemon." Ethan told me.

"So that means one of us is _not_ going to get a pokemon?" I asked Elm.

"No. But right now the only pokemon are Cyndaquil and Chikorita, both of which have been taken by Ethan and Lyra, respectively."

I felt a bit resentful towards Ethan. I wanted a Cyndaquil.

"The pokemon I am going to give you- it is the only one in the lab at present." Elm grabbed my shoulder and whispered into my ears, "Please, Zyre, whatever you do, don't release or harm that pokemon. You do not understand and I have sworn not to reveal anything to you. Promise me this."

"Um, yeah okay. I promise." Seriously what pokemon could be so bad? Personally, I felt that he had gone mad. He handed me a Pokeball and I threw it as far as I could.

"Go Pokeball!"

The temperature in the room seemed to go down in the room, literally. My heart nearly stopped beating when I saw the Pokemon before me.

It was a Gastly.

I stumbled backwards a bit. Lyra and Ethan looked really edgy. I wasn't surprised. I turned around to face the professor.

"Have you lost it? That is a _GASTLY! _A Gastly!" It was common knowledge that Ghost Pokemon were evil and sucked out the souls of trainers or normal people who were unfortunate to meet them at night. It was real.

The professor's gaze hardened. I'd never seen him like this before. Before he could say anything, I returned the ghost pokemon who was watching us with an evil look in his eyes.

"Not all pokemon are the same. That is what this world fails to understand! This pokemon has been with me for the past couple of days now and it has done nothing to harm my researchers or me?. I hold you to your promise."

I trembled. "Give me any pokemon but this."

Elm ignored me. "Lyra, Ethan you may leave. I've given you your Pokedexes and Pokeballs as well as your Trainer Ids."

They looked at me worriedly. I just shook my head. "You carry on. We'll meet up at Cherrygrove." They nodded.

As soon as they left, the professor's expression softened a bit. "I'm sorry but all of this is meant to happen. Whatever you do, do not trust anyone. Don't stay in Cherrygrove for more than a couple of days."

"Okay."I was surprised that my voice was so steady. At least I got a pokemon. But was it really worth it?

There were too many things running through my mind. What was so special about this pokemon? The professor looked... possessed? For a brief second I thought I saw a flash of green in his eyes. I must have imagined it, but it seemed so real.

"Here take these. You'll need them for your journey."He handed me a Pokedex and some pokeballs. This time when I looked into his eyes, they were definitely glowing. "_This_ is your destiny. Trust your Pokemon."

I stepped back. I felt like running away but something just kept me rooted to the spot. The glow slowly died from his eyes and he collapsed onto the floor.

* * *

><p>I was on my way to Cherrygrove and all I had was my bag which contained my Pokedex, five Pokeballs and some berries. After taking Professor Elm to a nearby hospital, I'd gone home and bade my grandfather goodbye. I really didn't bother about leaving him alone. We never had a good connection. He always thought of me as a burden.<p>

I remembered how I arrived to New Bark. My mom had arrived at his doorstep and asked him to take care of me. She'd had a lot of financial problems and couldn't afford to keep me.

At first he'd declined, but after persisting that he should take care of his grandson, my grandfather had finally accepted. So I'd lived practically my whole life here.

It was getting late. I needed to reach Cherrygrove before sunset.

It was then I saw the trainer with the red hair. He was with a Totodile. It took me a few seconds to realize that it was the trainer Elm was talking about. His back was faced to me. He looked like some kind of a gangster with his black shirt and black pants. His hair was shoulder length. I shook my head. It was because of _him _I didn't get a real pokemon. Suddenly I wasn't scared of him as I released my Gastly from his Pokeball.

He chose the perfect moment to turn around.

"My name's Zyre and I challenge you to a battle, thief!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

He saw me and frowned. Then he scowled at me and said, "I saw you enter the lab when I was escaping. So that old man must have told you about me."

"You're an idiot! If you were so smart, you wouldn't have admitted that you stole Totodile."

The boy just ignored me. "You said you wanted a battle? Well, you have one!"

He released his Totodile. It saw me and grinned. I realized that it was a bad decision. I couldn't bear to hurt it but neither could I back down.

"Alright, then! Gastly use Lick!"I'd checked out some of the moves Gastly used by reading the information on the Pokedex while I was walking.

"Totodile dodge and counter it with Rage!" I smirked. Normal type moves don't affect ghost-type pokemon. Totodile passed right through Gastly.

"Gastly use Hypnosis." I told my Pokemon calmly.

"Get out of the way, you piece of filth!" I flinched. How could any trainer speak to his Pokemon like that?

Totodile just managed to get out of the way. It was then that I noticed all his wounds. He's certainly grown stronger, but he was tired. I needed to end this soon.

"Totodile get up! Blast this brat's pokemon with your most powerful Water Gun!"

I grimaced as it hit Gastly. It must have affected him a lot because Totodile was way stronger than him and he was relentless even though he was greatly weakened. I had a feeling that Gastly was going to be defeated if I didn't do anything quickly.

"Again, weakling, and don't stop!" The boy shouted.

"Gastly, dodge!" But Totodile was quick despite its build. For a moment I saw Gastly's form flicker. I should have done something right then as Totodile hit Gastly again. This time Gastly fell to the ground and the gas that usually surrounded him, disappeared.

"And now its time to teach you a lesson. Totodile, show him what we do to people who mess around with us." I gulped. I saw the look in Totodile's eyes. He didn't want to hurt me but what choice did he have? He charged at me and I shielded my face with my arms, waiting for the blow. But it never came. I heard a blast and I looked up to see Gastly firing a beam of ice at Totodile.

"Ice Beam." I whispered. But that wasn't possible right? Neither Gastly or any of its evolutions could use Ice Beam.

In a few seconds all that was left was a very tired ghost-pokemon and a knocked out water-pokemon.

The boy returned Totodile to his pokeball and looked at me angrily. "I'm never going to give back that filth now! My name is Silver. Remember it because one day I'll be champion and you'll wish you were never born!"

With that he ran away deeper into the forest. I glanced at Gastly who looked at me with interest in his eyes. It felt really awkward because I despised him but he still saved me. I still didn't trust Gastly and I returned him to his pokeball. He'd saved me but when I checked the moves Gengar, Haunter and Gastly could use, on the Pokedex, Ice Beam was not listed. I didn't understand anything. Elm was acting really weird and my pokemon was not normal.

Maybe I was just hallucinating? Yeah, I was just hallucinating. I'd had nothing to eat, maybe that was why. Or was I?

* * *

><p>It took me a while but I managed to reach Cherrygrove by twelve o' clock. I ran to the Pokemon Center where I met Ethan who said that Lyra had already booked a room for me. She'd gone to sleep in her own room. I handed my Pokemon to Nurse Joy who I couldn't help but notice was a little uneasy as she took Gastly from me.<p>

I ate some pizza while I waited for Gastly to be healed. While I was eating, I told Ethan all about my encounter with Silver, but I left out the part where Gastly used Ice Beam.

"Are you sure his name is Silver?"Ethan asked me.

"Yeah, he told me so."

"Oh Arceus. Remember when we were going to that stupid trainer's school in New Bark?" I nodded. It was not as famous as the one in Violet City and the teaching was poor. I never paid much attention and eventually left it after I'd completed the main course.

"Well once, our history teacher, had given me a thousand word essay on Team Rocket because I was caught slipping notes to Lyra. So when I was doing research about their boss, Giovanni, I read an article that said it was rumoured that he had a son named Silver."

"Are you trying to suggest that the guy I met is Giovanni's son?"

"I wouldn't be surprised. Both of them have a crime record, the only difference is that Giovanni is behind bars."

I didn't believe the news. There are so many people called Silver in Johto...right?

Just then Nurse Joy came up to me and gave me back my pokeball. "We healed your pokemon completely. Would you like to book a room?"

"Uh... no. My friend already reserved on for me."

"Oh so you're Zyre Driftlake?"I nodded. "Then you have to register your Pokemon's name. Come with me."

I glanced at Ethan. "It's okay. I can manage myself." I could sense that he was weary. "Okay."

Nurse Joy led me to a room filled with pokeballs and a computer.

I felt nervous leaving my pokemon here. "If it's okay can I keep my pokemon?"

She laughed. "No these are the injured pokemon. You're pokemon is... special. So you have to register its name."

I got what she meant to say. It was a Gastly. I doubt that many trainers carried a ghost pokemon with them. I realized that I'd never given an official name to Gastly. I thought about the way he moved, like a-

"Shadow." I blurted out.

"Oh...okay. You should go back to your room now and rest. You look really tired."

I left the room and it took me a while but I finally found my room. It had a bed, a fridge that contained some eatables, a desk with a lamp fixed to it and a chair. The walls were painted brown with a picture of a pokeball on the ceiling. I assumed it looked like this in every room.

But first things first. The moment I fell on the bed, my eyes closed and I fell asleep.

* * *

><p>When I woke up, I saw light shining through the small window. I checked the time on my Pokedex. It was a pretty cool gadget. It gave information on all sorts of pokemon. It even scanned the pokemon and displayed its strength levels.<p>

After I had my breakfast, Nurse Joy handed me a note from Ethan saying Lyra had already left and he would be continuing to stay in the city for a few more days. He told me to carry on and that he'd gotten me some supplies.

I thought about staying for a little more time, but then I remembered what the professor told me.

_Don't stay in Cherrygrove for more than a couple of days._ For some reason, I decided to heed his advice. I wondered what was so bad about Cherrygrove though. It seemed like such a peaceful place.

I just shrugged. Sometimes I thought too much. Ethan had bought me a few potions and repels as well as some food and pokemon food.

I entered Route 30. It was pretty annoying, having to navigate my way through the tall grass. A small boy spotted me. He wore a hat and carried a net around with him. I groaned. He was one of those bug maniacs. There was a guy like him called Tom in New Bark.

"Hey, mister! I challenge you to a pokemon battle." I grinned.

"Yeah, okay. Shadow, come on out." He released his... Caterpie? I will never understand some people and their choice of pokemon.

The bug-catcher froze when he saw my pokemon. " Don't worry, Shadow is a good pokemon. Right, Shadow?" He gave me an evil, mischievous grin.

The boy nodded nervously. Then he smiled as confidence lit up his eyes."Caterpie use String Shot!"

Smart kid. He didn't use Tackle, like everyone else did.

"Shadow dodge and use Hypnosis." Caterpie missed, but so did Shadow. I think he did that on purpose. I don't know, maybe because the attack went in the opposite direction?

"Caterpie don't ever let that Hypnosis hit you again! Now use Tackle!"

I take my words back. He's not smart.

"Shadow use Hypnosis when it gets close to you." I told Shadow as Caterpie charged at him. He didn't listen to me of course. He just floated in front of a tree and Caterpie went right through him and smashed itself into the tree.

Okay now I was irritated. "Finish it off with a Lick."Oh, look the supreme lord finally decided to obey me.

The bug boy just stood there watching us in shock. "If you want to be a good trainer remember this kid. Normal-type moves _don't _affect Ghost types." I smirked as he handed over some prize money for winning.

It took me some time to realize that I'd finally won my first _proper_ battle. I was on my way to becoming a Pokemon Master.

* * *

><p><strong>Yay! See I finished this chapter much earlier. That chapter was like, twice as long as the first one. RECORD! I'm not going to reveal anything about Shadow. Nothing. Well not yet at least. Oh yeah, and I changed Shadow's name. I thought that it sounded better. Please don't kill me. The next chapter will be out by next Wednesday. Until then, goodbye! Oh and don't forget to REVIEW or FLAME! xD<strong>


	3. Flying High

Chapter Two-Flying High

I have got to admit that Violet City was worth the travel from Cherrygrove. I only wish that they'd given proper directions to this place. I took me a day and a half to get here.

Shadow had grown slightly stronger since we last left. He even learnt a new move, Night Shade. But I still don't trust him. Every night I have nightmares about him sucking out my soul.

The first thing I did when I reached Violet was to call my mom. I'm not ashamed to say that I lied to her when I said that I'd received a Totodile. I also called Elm. Apparently he'd sent me a package containing a Pokenav and that it should reach by midnight or something. Like I'd be awake. He made the conversation as short as possible.

I left Shadow with Nurse Joy and headed towards the trainer's school. It was the most famous school in Johto. It was early evening.

It was an average-sized building. There was a sign next to it that said 'Violet City's Famous Trainer School'.

There was a kid standing outside. He looked longingly at the school. His clothes were torn in some places and they looked really dirty.

He must've been around my age, maybe a year older. His eyes were the same colour as his hair; black. By the looks of it I thought he barely had enough to eat. He was slightly taller than me.

He looked kind of depressed. I went over and asked him, " Hey, what's wrong?"

His eyes widened at the thought of being addressed by a total stranger. Then he relaxed. "I just wish I could go to this school but my mom can't afford the fees."

"Oh." I felt bad for him. "Do you want something to eat?"

"Look at me. When do you think I last ate?" I shrugged. "Last morning."

"Okay. So what are you waiting for? Dinner's on me." He grinned.

"By the way, what's your name?"

"Zyre. You?"

"Aaron."

* * *

><p>I decided to go to the restaurant near the Pokemon Center , but not before I picked up Shadow. While we ate I told him about my journey here. I avoided talking about Shadow and told him my pokemon was a Totodile.<p>

"So you're going to challenge Falkner? The last time he lost was a few weeks back. And thats a lot considering the amount of challengers he battles everyday."

That meant that either Lyra lost to him or she decided not to challenge him. I nodded thoughtfully. "That means that I'll have to train tonight."

"Really? Could I come then? Please!"Aaron pleaded with me.

I looked down at my food, feeling uneasy. "Are you sure? This pokemon is... different."

"I could help you. The best place to train is the Sprout Tower. Please." I couldn't help but give in. I had no other choice, didn't I?

* * *

><p>We went to the Sprout Tower where one of the monks I'd battled had told me that trainers were given a test if they could reach the top of the tower. They didn't seem disturbed at the fact that I carried a ghost-pokemon with me.<p>

Aaron was shocked when I released Shadow, but he recovered quickly. He wasn't scared of the ghost-pokemon. In fact he looked really sad but I didn't ask him why.

The floors of the sprout tower were creaky and the building seemed as if it would collapse any moment. On the first level there was a humongous statue of a Bellsprout at the centre of the room.

I kept battling the monks there until I reached the last level. They didn't seem to carry any pokemon other than Bellsprout and Hoothoot. The Vine Whip attack was a bit of a problem though. When I reached the topmost level, the monk guarding it told me that Aaron was not allowed as I had to face the test alone.

I felt confident of Shadow's power, though. But my temporary feeling of confidence was shattered when I entered the topmost room. It was pitch dark. And the dark was where Gastly, Haunter and Gengar attacked humans, right?

"Great Arceus..."I cursed as Zubat attacked us from all directions. "Shadow, Night Shade!"

A few of the Zubat fainted, but more took their place. I needed to think fast. "Hypnosis, in all directions!"

But the Zubat moved out of the way. I winced as one of their claws scratched me on my shoulder.

"Mean Look!" That seemed to scared them away and the kept their distance. But they seemed to use their tiny brains and realized that we were outnumbered. I desperately searched for a solution.

"Shadow use Ice Beam!" He looked at me as if I'd gone mad. But didn't he use it when we battled Silver?

I just kept calling out attacks. I could sense he was tiring out and I returned him to his pokeball. I wasn't a monster to make him fight continuously.

The Zubat just disappeared. An old man came out from the dark and told me, "I'm impressed young one. Not many pass this challenge. They make their pokemon fight till the very end. This challenge was not based on strength alone, it was to test the care you have for your pokemon."

I was stunned. "Who are you?"

"I am Elder Li. Many presume that this test involves me fighting with them, but no. It is not. " He took in a deep breath. "I sense you have many doubts about your the truth is, all pokemon are different. Here, take this. It is your reward." He handed me a disc that said 'HM-Flash'.

"Thanks." I replied shortly. I felt the urge to get out of this creepy place. But as I was leaving, I caught what he said to himself.

"He plays a dangerous game, doesn't he?"

* * *

><p>I got up early the next day. Shadow had recovered from the attack and I thought he was strong enough to face Falkner. Professor Elm had sent me an upgraded version of a Pokenav with Ethan's and Lyra's numbers registered on it. It could do practically anything. There was an application to display the map of Johto, I could call or send messages to anyone and a lot more.<p>

After eating a quick breakfast, I asked Nurse Joy for directions to the gym. I took Shadow's pokeball and left. On the way I met Aaron.

"Hey, are you going to challenge the gym?" I nodded. "Well I wanted to ask you something."

"What?" I was curious to know since he looked really agitated.

"I used to have an Abra. But she died before I could start of on my journey. My mother is really poor so she couldn't afford another pokeball so that I could catch a pokemon. My little sister already left on her journey a few months back and she's not come back. She's not even called us once. So... I wanted to ask you- can I come with you on your journey? I promise I won't be a burden. I've always wanted to do that but what I really want to do is find my sister. Please." I was taken aback. Aaron was smart and he knows a lot more about pokemon than I do. So I figured that he'd be a real help.

" Sure. I have no problem."

"Really? Yes!" He pumped his fist into the air. "By the way I can't come to the gym because I have to run some errands for my mother."

"No problem." And with that he left. It took me some to realize that I was going to have a companion to travel with me. It took me even longer to figure out where the gym was.

"8:35? Crap, my match was scheduled for 8:30." With the help of my Pokenav I finally found the gym. The gym consisted of flying-types.

"You've come late I see. Scared, weren't you?" A young man with dark blue hair sneered at me. He wore a blue robe, much like the brown ones the sages in the Sprout Tower wore. He must've been Falkner.

The battle field was adjusted to suit only flying type pokemon. I wasn't surprised that many had lost to him. There were blocks of stone that were floating in the air. A pokemon must have been levitating them. Huge gaps were in between the blocks.

"No, in fact you're the one who should be scared." I retorted as I threw my pokeball into the air.

The look of confidence in Falkner's eyes faltered as he saw my pokemon. But he quickly recovered and said, "You're just a rookie. Lets see if you can beat me! Pidgey, go!"

Shadow's special ability was Levitate so he should have no problem attacking that Pidgey, I thought to myself.

"Shadow, use Hypnosis!"

"Pidgey dodge and use Wing Attack!" I grimaced. Man, this Pidgey was stronger than the others I'd battled before. The Pidgey started flapping its wings and a gusts of wind started forming. Apparently the move wasn't perfected yet, because the Pidgey took a lot of time.

"Shadow dodge and use Lick!"

"Pidgey use Gust when it comes near you!" Too late, I realized what was going to happen. Shadow was sent flying and landed at my feet. I thought desperately.

The Pidgey was strong and fast. It could dodge any of my attacks with ease, only because of its speed.

"Pidgey use Sand Attack !"

"Shadow go right behind Pidgey and attack it with Lick!" I whispered urgently to my pokemon.

Pidgey was completely unaware that Shadow had crept up behind it and by the time Falkner realized what was going on Pidgey was on the ground trying to get up into the air once again.

"Shadow, finish it off with Night Shade!" Pidgey was knocked out. The referee, who I had not noticed till now announced, "The winner of this round is Zyre! Let the next round begin!"

"Pidgeotto, go!" Okay, now I was dead. The Pidgeotto was way larger than the Pidgey and much stronger and faster, too.

"Shadow use Hypnosis!" I yelled quickly before Falkner could react. It actually hit the Pidgeotto.

"Okay, now use Night Shade!"Too bad it woke up the Pidgeotto. But it did affect the flying-type, to some extent.

"Pidgeotto, use Wing Attack!" The attack was so fast, Shadow couldn't avoid it. He was sent flying but landed on one of the levitating blocks of stone. Another Wing Attack and I knew that Shade would be knocked out.

"Pidegotto use Sand Attack!" It was pretty obvious that Fallner thought I would use the same trick again. But I was not a fool.

"Shade stay where you are." I told him as quietly as I could.

"Pidgeotto use Wing Attack in _all _directions."

"Shade float right on top of Pidgeotto and use Hypnosis. Then finish him off with a Night Shade."

Falkner did not expect that. It was only a matter of seconds before Pidgeotto was on the ground. He had fainted and it looked like his wing was sprained. I felt guilty about that.

He returned his pokemon to his pokeball and I did the same. Then he came over to me and said, "That was a great battle. I'm sorry for how I behaved to you. My pride took over me. You have taught me a great lesson. For that you have earned this badge. It is the Zephyr badge and it will heighten your pokemon's speed." He smiled at me and handed a small badge to me. It was placed inside the first slot of the badge case.

Shortly after I exchanged numbers with Falkner I left.

I couldn't believe it. I had just won my first badge!

* * *

><p>See? I told you that I would release the next chapter by Wednesday! Okay I felt guilty about not updating it in a long while, thats why. Anyways don't forget to REVIEW or FLAME.<p> 


	4. City In Hiding

Chapter Four – City in Hiding

A/N-**I'm going to skip a part of the story, just like I did before. Here's the part where everything is going to change...hehehehe.**

**Sorry, forgot to put the disclaimer.**

**DISCLAIMER- I do not (AND NEVER WILL) own POKEMON!**

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><p><strong>Till now...<br>Zyre was on his way to Azalea City to challenge their Gym Leader, Bugsy, for the second badge with Aaron, a fourteen-year old boy from Violet City. However, they found a wounded Skarmory in the Dark Cave. It was difficult, but they finally managed to make it out of the cave with the help of Anthony, a hiker whom they had met along the way. The Nurse Joy of the Pokemon Center in Azalea said that the wing was damaged but a man named Kurt would be able to help them. He says that he would be able to repair the wing, but on the condition that Zyre would keep the Skarmory as his Pokemon. Zyre accepts.**

NOW ON WITH THE STORY!

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><p>"You are a trainer, aren't you?" I nodded as I spoke to Kurt. He was an old man with white hair and black eyes .He wore a simple blue robe, like the ones the sages in the Bellsprout Tower wore.<p>

It was easy to find him as his house was the biggest and he had earned a famous reputation for making different kinds of Pokeballs for trainers. Skarmory, being a steel-type pokemon, had dented the tip of its wing. So Nurse Joy suggested that we go to Kurt as he would be able to repair its wing. Kurt had welcomed us warmly and was a really nice person.

"Well Bugsy hasn't been around here for a long time. He's the Gym Leader of the bug-type gym in Azalea. Everyone's worried for him, some think he's been kidnapped... or murdered." Kurt whispered the last two words. A dark look was cast upon his face.

"What do you mean?" Aaron narrowed his eyes. "Who would kidnap a _gym leader?" _Aaron had a point. That would be suicide.

Kurt looked around, like he was scared someone was spying on us. "Lately, there have been rumours. A few years ago, I'd helped a young man defeat Team Rocket, who were trying to steal the Slowpoke Tails they'd cut from the Slowpoke of our town, saying that it would bring luck. They were trying to cheat all of us, while destroying the Slowpoke. Slowpoke is the sacred pokemon of Azalea. Nobody from Goldenrod City has come here for a long time. The last traveller who went to Goldenrod City to see what was going on has not returned till yet."

I looked at him carefully. "So what you're trying to say is that, something has happened in Azalea?"

He nodded. "If you value your life, you would do best to stay away from there."

"Aaron-"I started to say, but Aaron cut me off.

"Zyre, I know what you're going to say. Why are you so scared? Even if you're not going, I'm going. My sister might be there!"

I stared at him. "Aaron-"

"I don't care!" He yelled at me. Kurt watched us like it was an interesting tennis match.

"Let me speak!" I shouted at him. He looked hesitant, but finally decided to listen to me. "I was about to say that maybe we should go there, because your sister might be there. But first, we eat." I glared at him.

Kurt sighed. "I doubted that you would listen to me. But be careful and do not let your guard down. If you do see some suspicious people who look like Team Rocket, then try to find your way around to the bicycle shop. There is an underground entrance there, for safety purposes. I used to live in Goldenrod City when I was a child. It will still be there, I am sure of it."

He then handed me a pokeball. "Here, take your Skarmory. Try to avoid letting it fly for a long time or any battles for the next couple of days as it might aggravate the injury." We thanked him and left.

"So what are you going to name Skarmory?" I could hear a hint of bitterness in his tone. He didn't have a pokemon yet.

I thought for a while. The way it tried to get up into the air and summoned a powerful gust of wind to drive us away, before fainting, it looked like it had caused a storm "Storm."

Aaron nodded approvingly. "That's a good name." I handed him one of the pokeballs Elm had given me.

"Next pokemon we see is yours."

* * *

><p>I have got to say that Ilex Forest was worse than the Dark Cave. It was a huge maze of trees. A man who was gathering wood helped us by cutting down a huge tree that blocked our path. But right now, all we were doing is running away from some very angry Beedrills. Aaron refused to catch them as he felt they deserved to be in their 'natural habitat'. That was a great excuse to keep my poor pokemon constantly battling them, wasn't it?<p>

We stopped to catch our breath.

"We must have lost them," I told him after a few seconds. He just nodded. We'd been aimlessly wandering in circles.

"We should set up camp here. I mean maybe after some rest, we'll find our way out."

I fed Shadow and Storm some berries, while Aaron and I had some instant noodles. Apparently, ghost-pokemon could eat normal food. Storm and Shadow seemed to be ignoring each other. I thought that Shadow wasn't used to the idea of having another pokemon around.

"So what happened to your first pokemon?" I felt curious.

A shadow of sadness passed over his face. "She died," He replied shortly. I decided not to pursue the subject anymore and we continued to eat in silence.

"She was an Espeon. I loved her as much as I loved my family. We were about to challenge Morty, but decided to train a little beforehand. But then a stranger challenged me when we were training near a waterfall. I defeated him, but he got so angry that he made his Graveler use Rock throw on her. And then... she died." It took all of his will not to break down in front of me.

"I'm sorry."I felt guilty about the way I treated Shadow. Was I some sort of a monster?

We packed up our stuff and continued walking. In order to help figure our way out of this place, we drew a map. While Aaron was drawing the map, I kept watch to see whether there were any Beedrill nearby. There was a faint greenish light in the distance. "Huh?"

"What?" Aaron looked up distracted.

"I thought I just saw some light in the distance," I said to him.

"Hmm... lets go and check it out then?"

When we reached the spot, there was nothing to be seen. I was sure that my eyes had not deceived me.

"Zyre, look here," Aaron pointed towards an old wooden structure that looked like a small house. It looked ancient. Below there was a sign that said 'Shrine to Celebi, guardian of Ilex Forest'.

"I've heard of Celebi. Legendary grass and flying-type pokemon," Aaron told me. I frowned. Was the ball of light I'd seen Celebi? The bug type-pokemon in the forest had no powers like that.

"So, do you think-" I glanced at him. The possibility of legendary pokemon even existing was unbelievable, let alone seeing one.

"Nah. I mean, no one has ever seen a legendary pokemon. It must have been an abandoned psychic pokemon or something." But the look on Aaron's face didn't convince me. Psychic pokemon in a forest? Yeah, right.

"Forget it, lets get out of here." From then onwards the path was pretty straightforward, only occasionally leading in separate paths. We were out of the forest in no time.

"Thank Arceus. I would have killed myself, if I was stuck there for five more seconds," Aaron said to me. Both of us were sweating heavily.

It was only then that we noticed our surroundings. Goldenrod City seemed quite a bit ahead. But there were guards all over the place. They looked like criminals, with the black shirts, pants and caps. Definitely not a good fashion statement.

"Zyre, look at their shirts," Aaron whispered to me. There was a logo in the middle of their shirt. A blue coloured 'S'. Suddenly Aaron shoved me into the grass.

"What the-"

"Shut up! They seem to be seem to be some sort of criminal organization, like Team Rocket. No wonder nobody has returned from Goldenrod for a long while," Aaron muttered.

"We need to find that underground entrance Kurt was talking about."

Aaron frowned. "But how will we get to the bicycle shop? Look at the amount of guards posted at the entrance."

I gave him a sly smile. "Time that they take a break. They look like they need a nap."

Aaron grinned. "Hypnosis?" I nodded.

I took out Shadow's pokeball and Shadow came out. "Shadow, I need you to do me a favour." My pokemon glared at me. "Look, I know your stressed out, but this is urgent. I need you to go and knock out those idiots over there with your hypnosis."

He didn't stop glaring at me. "You'll get a break after this," I promised. Then he just vanished. I peered out through the grass. Within a few seconds they were knocked out. Aaron and I rushed out. We knew that an alarm would be sounded in a few minutes after they found the unconscious guards.

It took us a few minutes to find the bicycle shop. It was pretty obvious because there were dozens of bicycles outside the shop. Something had been nagging at my mind ever since I left Azalea. My eyes widened as I realized that my mother could have been captured. No, I doubt it. For some reason I had a gut feeling she was not even in Goldenrod. She told me she was going to Kanto for some time. But that was a week back.

I was zapped back to reality when I heard the shrill sound of an alarm ringing. " Great Arceus, they've found the guards."

I searched the ground. "Where is that entrance?"

"There!" Aaron gestured towards something that looked like a sewage entrance as it was circular and made of stone. There were a few letters on it that said 'MPOEKON'. It was a puzzle.

"It's a puzzle. You have to rearrange the letters," I told Aaron, who looked up at me. "I know that, you dolt!" He scowled at me. I just shrugged.

I heard footsteps behind us. I gave Shadow a nod and he knocked out the criminal.

"I got it! It's pokemon!"Aaron kept rearranging the letters. I rolled my eyes. "Let's take this fool with us. Return Shadow!" I commanded. The stone moved as soon as Aaron shifted the letters into the right places.

"Hurry!" He jumped into the hole. After a few seconds, I heaved the man into the hole and jumped into it.

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><p>"We must launch a-" I heard a man say as we tumbled into the room. The ride down here made me feel nauseous. Before me stood a man who wore a purple band over his orange hair. He also wore a black sweater and white jeans. He gave me a bewildered look.<p>

"Visitors? Well you're the first ones who've not been caught! Morty, you should be happy!" A cheerful girl who couldn't have been more than fifteen years old spoke up. Her hair was pink and she wore a striped shirt and a short skirt.

"Whitney, no need to remind me of that." The man named Morty said. The room was pretty small and was painted a dull gray. There was a table in the middle of, stacked with papers and other documents.

Whitney turned to us, her expression now serious. "What are your names?"

"He's Aaron and I'm Zyre." I said flatly. Aaron kept squinting his eyes at them, like they looked familiar to him.

"Whitney, there's no need to start interrogating them now. They look tired, maybe later."

"Hey! I know you, you're the gym leaders of Goldenrod City and Ecruteak City!"

"Yes. But right now, we will lead you to the underground Pokemon Center." Morty looked behind us. "Who's your friend?"

"He's a part of Team Rocket,"said Aaron.

"Team Shadows," Morty corrected. "They attacked Goldenrod City. Every criminal organization has joined to form Team Shadows."

"So, it would have been a piece of cake to take control of Goldenrod." Morty nodded. There was a beeping sound and Whitney took out some sort of communication device. Morty turned back to us.

"Right now, you take rest. The whole of Goldenrod is taking refuge here. Come meet us later, okay? We'll take care of the grunt." Judging by Whitney's expression, something bad had happened. And I didn't want to know what it was.

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><p>You want me to describe the underground shelter? Fine. It was a pokemon center that was underground. It was small tiny and there were dozens of Diglett. After Storm and Shadow had rested, I retrieved them from the Pokemon Center.<p>

Nurse Joy led us to the room where we first landed. Morty and Whitney were still sitting there and talking about attacking something.

Morty gestured for us to sit down. "As you may know, we plan on attacking the main base of operations of Team Shadows tomorrow. So we need many trainers to help us."

"I'm not a trainer," Aaron commented sullenly.

"I do have pokemon, but I can't risk using my Skarmory, because it's injured," I told Morty.

"And what about the other pokemon you have?"

"It's a Gastly," I said nervously.

Whitney smiled. "Don't worry. Morty here is a ghost-type Gym Leader. Could you show him to us?"

I let out Shadow from his Pokeball. Shadow gave me and the others bored look. I noticed the look on Morty's face. He was a ghost-type Gym Leader right? So why was he sweating and acting so nervous?

"Has your pokemon ... shown the ability to use moves like Fire Blast and moves that it is incapable of learning?" I thought back to the time Shadow used Ice Beam. Was something about Shadow... special?

"It used Ice Beam once." Aaron and Whitney looked much more interested in the conversation as soon as I said that.

Morty looked at me with disbelief. "But it's impossible. There hasn't been one for years,"He muttered to himself.

Whitney glanced at Morty. "Morty, what's wrong with you?"

"His pokemon...it's an ace"

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><p><strong>Cliffhanger! Sorry if the end of the chapter was a bit rushed, I promise the next one will be better. I probably won't be able to update till the end of this month. AND A LATE HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU! :D. I'm so happy I finally finished this. It took me three hours to type this out. I'm so tired. Thanks to my reviewers! Don't forget to REVIEW! The story will probably end in ten chapters, but there's a sequel, where the real part of the adventure begins! Everything about Team Shadows will be explained afterwards.<br>**


	5. Legends Untold

Chapter-Legends Untold

**Disclaimer- DarkTyph doesn't own Pokémon.**

We all stared at Morty in silence. Finally, Aaron decided to speak. "What's an ace?"

Morty hesitated and cleared his throat. "That is not for you to know."

"What about me? I'm a gym leader!" Whitney whined. Morty glared at her pointedly.

"The_ champions_ do not know about this, let alone the gym leaders. This is an ancient secret known only to a few people. I am doing a great sin by even mentioning this." Whitney looked a bit hurt.

"Well this is my Pokémon so I think I have a right to know what's going on," I retorted. There was a hint of apology in Morty's eyes. He must have realized that he was too harsh to Whitney.

"Now is not the time to explain all of this," Morty replied."We will speak about this later."

"Let's focus on the task at hand," Aaron pressed.

"He's right. Lives are at stake and if we don't do anything Team Shadows will try to take over the entire region," I said to the gym leaders.

"We need to get to the radio tower and defeat their leader or admin, Matt. If we get caught our reinforcements will come to our aid. Once we defeat their leader, the rest of the group is sure to disband." Whitney looked slightly frustrated as she said this.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"The problem is that there are too many grunts for us to handle at a single time. Zyre if the leader finds you don't fight, run. He's too strong for you, I'll handle him myself." Morty hesitated for a second. "Your job is to switch off the generator."

I stared at him in disbelief. "Switch off the generator?"

Morty grunted. "I figured that I'd have a better chance against him if all the lights were switched off. We can ambush the grunts and it'll give us an edge because they won't be expecting us."

Whitney nodded. "The power of his ghost-type pokémon will increase, as will yours."

I saw her point. Shadow was strong but not strong enough to fend off more than a few grunts. But the darkness would conceal him and strengthen him.

"Enough has been said. Zyre meet me after dinner. We have much to talk about. At midnight, we strike." And with that, both the leaders left the room.

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><p>Let's just say the people in the Pokémon center unnerved me. They kept giving Aaron and me stares. I assumed they weren't used to 'survivors'.<p>

I picked at my noodles. All the food was rationed as nobody knew how long they would be stuck here.

"I'm coming with you," Aaron whispered to me, aware that everyone around us was watching.

"Are you crazy? Besides you don't even have a-" I was cut off as Nurse Joy approached us. "Your Houndour is now rested and healthy. Here you go." She handed over a pokeball to him. I raised an eyebrow, demanding for an explanation.

"What? I found him just before we left Azalea. He was abandoned, so I caught him and took him to the Pokémon center where they treated him." He gave a sheepish smile.

"Alright, but be careful. You're not a registered trainer, so if you're caught, _both _of us are dead."

"What about that 'ace' thing Morty was talking about?"Aaron looked troubled.

"How am I supposed to know?" I scowled at him.

"I was just curious! And you are too, admit it!" The older boy shot back.

"Maybe a little," I mumbled.

"Are you kidding me? He looked like an Electivire had just used Shock Wave on him!"Aaron's expression grew serious. "How come you never told me Gastly could use Ice Beam?"

"I didn't know if it actually happened in the first place!" I protested. "At first, I thought it was an illusion or something, but when Morty brought it up, I realized that maybe I wasn't hallucinating and it actually happened!" I took a deep breath after letting that all out.

Aaron stared at me for a couple of seconds then grumbled, "Alright, I believe you. You'd better eat your dinner fast and get back to the room. Once you're finished with your business, I follow you."

I snorted. "And how exactly do you intend to 'follow' me?"

Aaron smiled at me slyly. "You'll see."

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><p>I slumped in the chair. Twenty minutes had passed yet Morty had not arrived. My eyes flickered to the mound of books on the table. The book at the top was the smallest, with a plain, black cover and it looked very dull. On the top was imprinted 'Secrets of the Dark'. I groaned. Why was everything always related to 'dark', 'evil' or 'bad'. Why couldn't it be called 'Secrets of Nice Stuff'. Okay maybe that was lame, but I really needed a change. This was <em>not<em> how imagined my journey to be.

I opened the first page of the book carefully, as it seemed to be very old. There was a summary of contents and I immediately realized it was about ghost-Pokémon. I turned over to another page.

'_Ghost Pokémon are the most feared kind of Pokémon ever. Years have passed, yet the fear only grows, just because of the fact that they devour souls. But is it really their fault? The truth is that every pokémon has a personality of their own. Normally, it is not in their habit to do as such, unless they are endangered. Their mischievousness is mistaken for evil._

_To be honest, at first, I myself was scared of them. However that all changed when I met my best friend, for life. My Sableye.'_

I bit my lip, but I continued to read. Now, I definitely felt like a monster. But I didn't ask for a ghost pokémon did I?

'_It all depends on how the trainer raises it. People thought I was mentally affected when they saw me with Sableye. I didn't let that affect me, not even when I was disqualified from the Pokémon Championship Tournament, the biggest of all time, for supposed cheating. I didn't understand how my Pokémon was able to use all those moves. He was-'_

Before I could read anything more, the book was snatched away. I looked up to find Morty staring down at me with a cold fire in his eyes.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" He said in an even tone.

"Sorry."I couldn't bear to meet his gaze and I hung my head in shame. "I was just a little curious."

"Learn to control yourself. You can't just take other people's property without their permission. I was going to give it to you later in any case."

"Later? Why not now?"I questioned.

"You're not ready yet," he told me.

"Then why did you call me here?"

"One, stop asking questions. Two, I mean it, stop asking questions. Three, this is a serious matter." He took in a deep breath. "Have you heard of Team Rocket?" I simply nodded.

"Well, I'm not going to say much, but I assume you think it's their fault. Actually it is, in a way. Many disruptions have been caused over the past few years. It seems as if the ancients have awoken."

"Ancients?"

"Legendary Pokémon. The ones you call 'myths' such as Ho-oh or Lugia."

I was taken aback. "But they're just myths!" I exclaimed.

There was a stony look on his face. "They are not myths. Long ago, legendary pokémon and humans used to live in harmony. They had no reason to hide from the humans and often they could be seen flying the skies. But as time flew, humans became more selfish and wanted their powers. In fact, they formed a group that has lasted for hundreds of years. Those humans are not to be taken lightly. They make Team Shadows seem like a bunch of schoolkids trying to defeat the Pokémon league."

Nothing could be more powerful than Team Shadows right? A combination of the deadliest group of criminals from the Unova, Sinnoh, Kanto and Hoenn regions.

"After this, I want you to get out of Johto immediately. Head to Olivine City and catch a ferry to the Hoenn region. Things are unstable here with the Organization's return, not to mention Team Shadows as well. Be very careful and keep your Pokémon safe."

The Organization must have been those people Morty was talking about a few seconds ago. But I never ever heard about them before and I doubted many people knew them. From the way Morty described them, I assumed they were very secretive.

Suddenly, Whitney came into the room, panting heavily.

"Morty! You have to come straight away to the Pokémon Center!"

Morty frowned. "What's wrong?"

She looked him in the eye before responding, "Cherrygrove City has been attacked by Team Shadows."

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><p>It was 11:43 right now. Anytime soon we were going to be let out. I had to be as silent as I could be. There was an alternate entrance here that didn't involve falling down a hole and just walking up a set of stairs, but it was located outside Goldenrod near the National Park. It wouldn't have been possible to get up there considering the amount of security they had placed.<p>

I had already entered the city, knocking out all the guards with Hypnosis. At present, I was hiding in the bushes near the Game Corner. My goal was to get behind the radio station. But Morty had told me to go only when I received a message from the underground retreat.

Cherrygrove City. I'm pretty sure Ethan left already, he wouldn't have spent too much time there. I hoped everyone was alright there.

No. It wouldn't be. Thousands would have died. From what Morty and Whitney had heard, people were being tortured for information.

I felt a vibration against my leg. It was time to get moving.

The night was dark and cloudy. I hid in the shadows of the buildings when the guards were near. The radio tower was only ten metres away from me.

"Hey what was that noise?" I heard someone murmur. Just a few metres ahead of me, two grunts were approaching Shadow and I.

"Who's out there?" The second grunt called out. My heart started to pound. Before I could react, Shadow knocked both of them out with a powerful Hypnosis. I thanked him and dragged the bodies away from the main street. I looked out from my hiding place; no one was out patrolling the streets right then. I signalled for Shadow to go on. Then I broke into a sprint. It took me a few seconds to find where the generator was.

I hoped no one had seen me. Or else the whole operation would be busted. The generator was huge and the machinery was complex. Morty had told me that the huge blue switch would cut off the city's power supply.

"Blue switch. Blue switch... found it!" A sense of pride spread through me. It took me all of my physical strength to pull down the switch. I grinned at Shadow whose face was emotionless. He was looking at something behind me.

My feeling of triumph disappeared when I heard a chilling voice behind me.

"And just what do you think you're doing?"

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><p><strong>AND CUT! Cliffy! I'm sorry I've not been updating lately, the next time I'll probably update will be after my 80 marks examinations. I know that I said I would update earlier, but my marks were horrible this time. I'll be updating only after March 26<strong>**th****. Trust me, I'll have nothing to do during my vacations, so I'll be updating the fic a lot. **

**Thanks to my reviewers! Your words inspire me a lot. :D**

**FEEL FREE TO CRITICISE/REVIEW/FLAME. **


	6. Evolution

Chapter Five-Evolution  
><strong>DISCLAIMER- I don't own Pokémon.<strong>

My heart stopped. I slowly turned behind.

The person gave me a chilling glare. I was unable to see him properly in the dark, bit I was able to see the mask on his face. It had different inscriptions and engravings all over it, in a blood red color. They seemed to be in a different language. His eyes were icy blue. I felt like he was able to see right through me.

The temperature dropped ten degrees, literally. I shivered, not just because of the cold. The man seemed to be dressed entirely in black.

"What do you think you're doing?"He repeated. I paid no heed to him, as I was analyzing the situation at hand. I needed to escape.

"Stop staring at me!"He shouted angrily. "Answer my question or else you will regret it. Why are you here? Are you with Team Shadows? Trying to sabotage the Organization's plan?"

That caught me off guard. "The Organization?"

"So you know about them, eh? I'm pretty sure you're not a part of it, or else I'd know you! Of course, you can't be a part of Team Shadows, either or else you'd be traipsing around in that silly uniform of theirs. So tell me again, why are you here?" The stranger's rough voice echoed in my ears.

I didn't respond. A flash of light and standing in front of me was a Feraligatr the size of a mountain. Well, not literally of course, but it was huge.

"Listen kid. I'm not the only one from the Organization here in Goldenrod City. I'm not supposed to be telling you this, but if one of us is this strong, imagine how the rest of us would be. We'll hunt your family down, and you'll regret that you ever crossed our path."

I swallowed. Before I could react however, a figure appeared out of nowhere and pushed the man to the ground. I recognized Aaron easily. His Houndour attacked the Feraligatr. Without hesitating, I ordered Shadow to use Hypnosis. But he didn't respond.

"Wha-!"The man exclaimed as he tried to get Aaron off him. But the taller boy was unrelenting to let go.

"Shadow is out of power to use any more moves!" Aaron called out. A few grunts came there upon hearing the commotion, but they ran away as soon as they saw Feraligatr.

The stranger managed to push Aaron off. He looked in a pretty bad condition, but Aaron was worse. His nose was bleeding and his jaw looked broken.

"That. Is. Enough. You're dead, kid. You and your friend as well." He growled. "Feraligatr, forget about the Houndoom. Use Hydro Pump on that kid. Then crush that Gastly."

I stood there frozen. Hydro Pump was the strongest water-type move ever, and could cause floods, so bad that it could wipe out cities. I'd be dead within seconds. Maybe even Aaron would die. We'd never be able to find his sister.

Let go of your emotions, I heard a voice inside me. Let go of all the fear, hate and despair.

For some reason, I felt inclined to it. Feraligatr was gearing up for the attack. Any moment now, it would launch it and probably destroy half the city or maybe even the whole city.

So I let go of all my emotions. My mind went blank and I couldn't feel anything. I shut my eyes . I heard Feraligatr roar as I waited for the incoming attack.

Not a drop of water hit my skin. I looked up. Right above me, Shadow was using Solar Beam as a shield and it was absorbing all the water.

The stranger looked stunned. Aaron was equally surprised, if not more. In the dead of the night, with no source of light, he was able to conjure a Solar Beam.

After a few more seconds, Feraligatr gave up. The Solar Beam attack sent it flying into one of the buildings and it had been knocked unconscious. The place looked like a pack of Bouffalant had just run through it. I looked back at Aaron only to find that, the stranger had a knife pointed at his throat.

"If your Pokémon even touches me, I swear that I'll kill your friend. Return that creature to his Pokeball."

I looked back at Shadow whose eyes had an unreadable expression. Without any hesitation, I returned Shadow to his Pokeball. "Now let Aaron go." I turned back only to find that Aaron's limp body lying on the ground. The stranger and his Feraligatr were nowhere to be seen. I rushed over to Aaron and felt his pulse.

Worry filled through me. I had to alert Morty that there were more of the Organization's members in Goldenrod. But I had to get Aaron out of here, or at least hide him somewhere safe.

An idea hit me. Storm may not have been in superb condition, but I had no other choice. I released the steel-type Pokémon from his ball.

"Storm, you've got to carry Aaron to the Hideout. Keep him safe and don't let anyone see you." I glanced at Houndour who looked worn out, so I returned him to his Pokeball and tucked it into Aaron's pocket.

Storm gave me one last look. Had I imagined it or did he seem...concerned... for me? I wondered, was this what a journey with your Pokémon was all about? Not just winning, but bonding with your Pokémon? Maybe I had forgotten the first rule of battling: Always believe in your Pokémon.

I shook these thoughts from my head. Right now, my main priority was to get to Morty. The stranger's voice echoed in my head.

"_I'm not the only one from the Organization here in Goldenrod City."_

My heart hammered. The Organization didn't seem to be like a bunch of people who took things lightly.

Focus, I told myself. Where would Morty be right now? Didn't he say something about fighting off Team Rocket's admin in order to drive them away? And Team Shadow's main base was in the Radio Tower, so Morty would have gone there.

I wasted no time. The towering shape of the Radio Tower was visible to me and it was only a few houses away. I weaved my way through the houses. The whole of the city was engulfed in war between the Grunts and the citizens of Goldenrod. Fortunately no one noticed me, probably because they were too busy handling their own battles.

The citizens were outnumbered badly. If we didn't capture and defeat Matt in time, we'd be toast.

I shot into the building. There was nobody there, but the surroundings made it clear that Morty and a few other people had battled here. The carpet was burnt and I could smell smoke. The wallpaper behind the counter that read 'DJ Mary!' was burnt at the edges. The elevator was out of service so I took the stairs. At the side of the stairs was a list of floors. I scanned it and found what I was looking for.

The Director's office was on the fifth floor. It was most likely that Matt would have occupied that floor. I quickly rushed up the stairs, running as fast as I could. It was a bit hard to see in the dark, however.

"Come on Gengar! Use Shadow Ball!" I heard Morty's voice. The door was locked, but I could see what was going on through the transparent glass door.

"Hmph! Golem dodge and use Rollout," said a much deeper voice. I could make out a tall figure that must've been Matt. I couldn't see either of them clearly.

The Golem moved with an imperceptible speed, which shocked me. Weren't Golem some of the slowest Pokémon ever? Even if it was highly trained, it wouldn't change a thing because, it would still be slower than a Gengar.

"Gengar, dodge!" But it was too late. The Golem curled up into a ball and rolled towards Gengar with incredible speed and hit the ghost-type Pokémon straight on. Gengar looked exhausted and was struggling to get to its feet.

The desperation on Morty's face was enough to shock me back into reality. The door was locked, but there was always a solution to locked doors. You just had to kick it open.

I step backwards and ran towards the door and slammed it with all my strength. I fell to the floor which was filled with little glass pieces everywhere. Lucky for me, other than a few minor wounds, I didn't seem to be injured.

Morty looked like he had been hit by an Ice Ball. I stood up shakily and released Shadow. The Gastly growled on facing its new opponent, who stiffened slightly, then slowly smirked.

"Do you really think that thing can defeat me?"

"Yes, he can. And don't call him a thing because soon you'll be begging for mercy from him." As I spoke those words I felt light-headed. It was like my mind was being... shared.

"Zyre, what are you doing?"

"I'm doing what I believe is right." I answered.

"Enough of your petty talk. Golem use Steamroller." The Golem withdrew its whole body into its shell as it prepared to attack Morty's Gengar.

"Shadow, don't let it get away. Hit it with a Confuse Ray!" By some miracle the ball of light actually hit the Golem, who immediately changed course and hit the wall instead.

"Get out of it, you stupid Pokémon and use Magnitude!" Matt's screamed in frustration. Apparently he had anger management issues.

So the first part of my plan was successful. I had managed to divert Matt's attention towards me and hopefully it would give Morty time to recover.

"Shadow, use Night Shade!" the ghost-type fired a purple beam from its body that hit Golem, but did little damage. I wasn't worried about Magnitude, because of Shadow's ability, Levitate.

"Argh!" Matt seemed to have realized it late. From the corner of my eye I could see Morty trying to lift his Gengar up, but it seemed too weary.

"Smack Down!" The rock-type fired a ball of energy from its mouth that hit Shadow and sent it straight down. "Now Magnitude and then Rock Blast!" The ground shook and I fought to keep balance. The Rock Blast sent Shadow flying into the wall as rocks covered it.

"So much for him," Matt said smugly," And now the rest for you." He turned to Morty who was still struggling to help his Gengar up. "Golem-"

The Team Shadows admin was cut off by the sound of rocks cracking. Shadow was glowing. I realized that he was evolving into a Haunter. He looked completely different now with a roundish body and a pair of disembodied hands. Its purple teeth were still spiky and its triangular white eyes were still the same. There were spike-like protrusions on either side of its body.

The same voice that spoke to me during the battle against the Feraligatr whispered to me once again.

_Together, now_

Shadow charged at Golem and struck the larger Pokémon with a powerful Sucker Punch. Then, without my consent, he used a move that I would never allow him to use- Curse. The Golem buckled to its knees, panting heavily as soon as Shadow fainted. Morty's Gengar had regained most of its strength.

Matt stared at us for a few seconds, but recovered quickly. He said something inaudible to his Golem, who complied. The ceiling crumbled and I don't remember most of what happened as my mind was in a daze. Somehow, Morty and I managed to get out of there alive. The top of the Radio Tower collapsed and by the time we got out of there, ambulances had arrived to treat the injured and the police were searching for people who were trapped in the Radio Tower.

Morty shook my arm, trying to get some response from me. "Zyre, we did it."

His words took a long time to register in my head. I looked at him straight in the eye. "No, we didn't."

The ghost-type leader looked puzzled. " Right after I shut down the power supply, a masked man attacked me. He said he was from the Organization. I managed to defeat him, though and he said something about more of the Organization being here. I saw a glimpse of Matt's face and he wore the same type of mask the stranger wore."

I took a deep breath before I continued. "Matt never worked for Team Shadows. He was a part of the Organization."

* * *

><p><strong>AN- So... tired. Well, I guess I do have a tendency to rush every chapter. :/ This came up pretty late I guess. Expect the next update within 5 days.I might merge this chapter and the last, because I felt that the last one was too short but then it might be too big. ** Thanks to the people who reviewed this story! **  
><strong>


	7. Aftermath

Chapter 7- Aftermath

Disclaimer-I don't own Pokémon. If I did, I would be playing Black and White 2 right now.

* * *

><p>A day has passed since the battle. It's hard to believe that we created so much of a mess in one day. It'll probably take a few years for everything to be back to normal.<p>

The battle had caused the destruction of the once beautiful city. Houses were wrecked, More than half of the radio tower had been destroyed and a few people had actually died in the disaster. The shortage of food and water in the city only added to the problems, so a few people were still trying to salvage anything that might be useful.

Whitney's gym and the shopping mall, which was one of the reasons why Goldenrod City had become so famous, were comparatively in a better shape and about half the city's population had taken refuge there. The underground hideout was still being used.

As for Aaron, he'd reached the hideout safely and he is currently being treated for his injuries. The doctor's said that he'd be fine though, and would release him by tomorrow. Many people had been rescued from Team Shadow's base which was in the game corner and Aaron was trying to get out of the hospital and see if his little sister was among them.

As for Morty and I, we hadn't suffered any major injuries and there were more serious cases to attend to. Whitney on the other hand, was supposed to have accompanied Morty, but she had been ambushed near a flower shop, by a man who looked very much like the one who'd escaped after his Feraligatr had been defeated. She'd been knocked out cold and it took the rescue parties a while to find her.

Morty and I were walking through the city's wreckage as I told him about how I'd been attacked by the mysterious stranger.

The Ecruteak City gym leader bit his lip when I came to the part where Shadow used Solarbeam. "You made a mistake there." I gave him a questioning look. He kicked

"Do you have an idea as to what an ace is?" I shook my head.

He took a deep breath. "A long time back, there was a brilliant scientist, who had been among the group of extraordinary scientists and researchers, who wanted to see if a Pokémon could be cloned. They wanted to see if these clones could be made stronger than their original copies. Initially they had a little success, but the more they accomplished, the greater their ambition became. Some of these scientists believed that the legendary Pokémon Mew was said to reside on Birth Island and so they searched the whole island for years. They wanted to create a Pokémon stronger than Mew." I listened to each word carefully, absorbing every word he said.

"They set up all sorts of contraptions to capture Mew, which is said to be a playful Pokémon. It was only by luck one day that they succeeded, but Mew managed to escape anyway. Unfortunately for him, some of his fur got snagged in the trap they'd set up for him. They used this fur to detect his DNA and tried to replicate him."

"Did they succeed?" Morty's face was shadowed.

"They did. However this Pokémon, Mewtwo, did not only get its strength from Mew, but also its intelligence. The scientists foolishly tried to enslave it, but it did not obey their commands and, as a result of its anger, most of the island was destroyed by the explosion it had created. It tried to take over the whole world by challenging some of the strongest trainers and stealing their Pokémon. Mew arrived at home to find that it had been turned into a demonic structure and decided that Mewtwo was wrong about his theories about the humans and so a battle ensued between the two of them, which was stopped by a young boy named Ash. He sacrificed himself so that the Pokémon would so fighting. He was revived by the tears of the Pokémon who were moved by Ash."

Morty's eyes glowed... green? The same way Elm's had when I first received Shadow from him. I stepped back cautiously. "Wh-Who are you?" I stammered out.

Morty turned his head to look at me. "And I made a mistake. I learnt that not all humans are bad as they are deemed to be."

I glanced at him confusedly. Then the realization hit me. "You mean that _you_ are Mewtwo?"

"I have just taken control of his mind for a short time to explain things to you. Now let me finish my story."

"This scientist who went mad, teamed up with Giovanni to create a new breed of Pokémon- aces. Morty will explain everything to you when the time is right. Do not make any mistakes, for you were chosen by us to fulfil this destiny..._your_ destiny. And now, the Organization will be alerted that an ace has come into this world once again." His stone hard gaze raked me. I forced myself not to flinch.

There was too much going on at the moment. I needed time to think to think. A question formed at my lips and I could not stop myself. "Why was I chosen? I can't even trust my Pokémon. There are more worthy trainers out there."

For a moment, Morty's, or should I say Mewtwo's gaze softened. "If you weren't able to trust your Pokémon, then how come you feel overprotective of your Skarmory and Haunter? I can read your thoughts. Even now, they are filled with worry for your Pokémon. We have chosen the right person."

"Do not let anyone know about this, but you may tell Morty and your friend know about it if you wish. And now, I must go, for I have stayed much longer than I intended to." The colour in Morty's eyes returned to normal.

"Why are you staring at me?" He questioned.

"Nothing." I answered quickly, avoiding his gaze. I wouldn't tell him about my meeting. It was too early and I didn't even have time to think.

* * *

><p>The Pokémon Center had suffered major damage as well,, but a makeshift one had already been put up next to the Goldenrod City Hospital, which had not taken much damage, probably because it was at the edge of the city.<p>

I'd just come back from a training session with my Pokémon and Whitney, who insisted that we keep our battle skills sharp in case Team Shadows decides to come back, though I suspect she held back a bit. Shadow had grown stronger after his evolution. I no longer felt wary of him. Sometimes I felt as if our minds were linked. And sure enough, it was tough battling a normal-type Pokémon with a ghost Pokémon, but it wasn't easy for Whitney either. I planned to challenge her before I left the city.

I decided to withdraw Shadow and let him rest in his pokeball, seeing that everyone around us would get scared of a Ghost-type pokemon haunting the city.

I stopped at the nurse's desk. Nurse Joy was having a tough time and I doubt she even slept, with those bags of stress under her eyes.

She looked up at me, then back at the paperwork on the desk and said, "He's in room number 127." The usual note of cheerfulness was not in her voice. I thanked her and left. She recognized me from earlier visits.

The hospital was a maze of rooms. I remember the first time I came here, it took me nearly half an hour to find Aaron's room. But now the directions were etched in my mind. I opened a white door with the sign '127' on it, to find Aaron staring at the television which hung from the wall in the corner of the room.

The room in itself was small and simple. There was a table at the side of Aaron's bed, which held a bowl of unfinished soup. Right below the television was the door to the bathroom.

Aaron switched off the television as soon as he saw me. "Hey! What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe visiting you?" A hint of sarcasm crept into my voice.

Aaron just rolled his eyes as I grabbed the chair next to his bed. "So got any news about your sister yet?"

"No, but when I get out of this bed, I swear I'll find her and put her on a leash." I laughed.

"How come you're so sure that she's here?"

Aaron frowned for a second. "I saw someone who looked like her on TV, among the survivors. It was just a glimpse, though, but I'm sure that she's here." I shook my head at his adamance, but decided to change the topic.

"How's Houndour?"

"He's in better condition than me, that's for sure." Aaron chuckled.

"Yeah, I really owe you for saving me. I might've been in deep trouble, if not for you."Aaron just shrugged and said, "You're just exaggerating."

I didn't respond. My thoughts were filled with fear. What if the Organization came after me? Something inside me snapped. I was sick of worrying about myself all the time. I was way too selfish for my own good. I needed to have more faith- in my pokemon, my friends and in myself. Determination flooded my mind. I was going to train and protect my Pokemon no matter what.

"Um, Zyre are you there? You zoned out." Aaron looked worriedly at me.

"Uh, yeah sorry I was just thinking," I responded at bit distractedly.

"What about Shadow? Has Morty told you anything about his special powers yet?"

I frowned. " What do you mean by 'special powers?'?"

Aaron rolled his eyes. "Haven't you noticed yet? He has a capability to use all sorts of moves. At first Ice Beam, then Solar Beam. I'm under an assumption that this 'Organization wants to eliminate or use pokemon like Shadow. You should really ask Morty, he shouldn't be hiding anything anymore."Aaron persisted.

I bit my lip, taking it into consideration. Then I sighed. "Alright."

Aaron was taken aback. He hadn't expected me to have given in that easily.

"I'll do it today." Aaron nodded. In a way, he was right. I had to confront Morty about this because sooner or later, somebody was going to get hurt.

* * *

><p>"What's this about dragging me to a café all of a sudden?" Morty asked his gaze level with mine.<p>

It couldn't actually be called a café, seeing as most of it was not in a good condition. There were cracks in the walls, water was leaking from a pipe and the tables and chairs looked nearly ancient. There was an overhead roof for shelter with tiny holes in it. I looked out of the window. The once light drizzle had turned into an all-out storm.

We took a seat as a waiter came to our table and Morty ordered for some hot chocolate for both of us.

"I want answers." I looked at him straight in the eye, daring him to refuse.

The waiter arrived just then and left the cups of hot chocolate on the table. Morty took a sip of his and ignored me.

Frustration took over me. "Mewtwo visited me." Morty spewed his coffee all over the table a soon as he heard that.

"What!?" I briefly explained what had happened.

"Let me get this straight. Mewtwo was talking to you while he possessed my body?"He laughed shakily. "That explains the nauseous feeling in my head during that walk. I felt like I'd passed out or something."

He tapped his finger on the table. "Well there's no point in hiding anything now is there? I might as well tell you what little I know." He laughed drily.

"Aces are different from other Pokemon. Yours is the second one I've ever met in my life, the first being my grandfather's Sableye, which you read about in that book." I flinched, a sense of guiltiness swamping me.

Morty noticed it. "Everyone can get a little curious at times. Don't worry about it." I nodded, still feeling a bit uneasy.

"My grandfather and his Sableye disappeared a long time back so they must be dead by now." There was a hint of sorrow in Morty's eyes, which he quickly shook off. I pitied him, he must have been really close to his grandfather.

"These aces are known to have special powers. No one knows about their origin. They are a completely different species of Pokemon and it's not just their ability to use different types of moves or adapt to any kind of situation. They have other powers too." He looked hesitant. "Though I'm not sure what they are."

I felt slightly disappointed. I'd expected more. "Is there anything else you know?"

Morty shook his head. A smirk began playing at the corner of his lips. "If you want to know more, there's only one thing to do. I've been contemplating about this for the past few days, and I've finally decided."

I narrowed my eyes at him. What was he suggesting?

Morty grinned. "Let's go and pay a visit to the shrine of Ilex Forest's guardian, shall we?"

* * *

><p>Whoa! Late, I know :'(. I'm just lazy and I hate this chapter. Ah, well after this things are going to get more interesting and (hopefully) easier to write. Super thanks to reviewers!<br>Don't forget to review/ flame. I want to read a flame, though it'll probably bruise my pride. Oh and next chapter is long. Very long.


	8. Memories

Chapter 8-Memories

"Use Swift!" I shouted to Storm, who was up against Whitney's Linoone. The battle had already begun. We were outside Goldenrod, because the Gym couldn't be used anymore.

An array of stars shot out of the steel-type's bird's mouth and hit the Linoone hard. The normal-type Pokémon fainted at once.

"Well, let's see how well you do with this one. Milky, come on out!" Despite the tension, I felt like bursting out loud with laughter. Of all names, she chose Milky? I shook my head, this was a gym battle.

Shadow was weakened horribly. If I brought him out, he'd only be able to take a few hits. Storm  
>would have to do for now. I grit my teeth.<p>

Whitney noticed my expression. "Not getting nervous, are you?" She teased. I forced myself to relax and I shook my head.

"Storm, use Peck!" Storm dove towards Militank.

"Miltank, counter with Defense Curl!" I swore under my breath. The attack had barely had any effect.

"Not getting nervous, are you?" Whitney mocked.

I took a deep breath. Mental focus was important and I couldn't let myself be beaten. Not after all the training I'd given my Pokémon. She was just trying to distract me.

"No, I'm just searching for a way for me to end this battle, without making you cry," I retorted. "Storm, Swift!"

"Milky, use Rollout to shield yourself!" Confusion overtook me. Swift was an unavoidable attack, so how could her Militank dodge it?

Miltank rolled into a ball and rolled towards Skarmory. Pieces of rock flew out of the ground and some of them deflected the stars and hit Skarmory.

"Now use Stomp!" I decided to use Militank's slow speed to my advantage.

"Storm, dodge and slam it with a Steel Wing!" The move had come in handy more than once and was worth the money I had paid for it. The only problem was its accuracy, which I had tried to perfect.

As quick as a flash, Storm darted towards Militank and sent it flying across the clearing. It was close to fainting and I could almost smell victory.

"Who's scared now?" I taunted. To my surprise, Whitney just smirked.

"Milky, use Milk Drink,"she said calmly. "You see, Driftlake, this is why I never lose."

I'd rather not describe the process of Militank drinking its own 'nutritious' milk.

"Storm, use Agility!"

"Defense Curl!" Man, I hated that move.

The battle had begun to take its toll on Storm, but he stayed sharp. "Storm, Sand-Attack now!"

Both the Pokémon were blinded by the wave of sand that swept over the arena. I shielded my face with my arm and yelled, "Double Team and then Fury Cutter!" Multiple replicas of Storm soon surrounded the field.

"Milky, use Dig!" Whitney cried out.

Skarmory dashed towards the Militank, but just as he prepared to attack, Militank dug a hole and vanished into the ground. That was a clever trick, using Dig as a defensive move. Storm crashed into the ground.

I clenched my fists nervously. "Storm, Sand-Attack, again!" It was one of the stupidest mistakes anyone could ever make and it was all because of a moment's distraction.

"Milky, Rollout, now!" There was a hint of cockiness in Whitney's face.

"Storm, try and dodge it!" I yelled, but to no avail as a particularly large piece of rock hit the Skarmory, sending it crashing down into the clearing.

"Militank, Rollout once again!"

I fumbled for Storm's Pokéball in my pocket. "Return!" A few fragments of the rock hit me as Storm disappeared into the Pokéball. I released Shadow out into the clearing. "Hypnosis!"

"Dodge," Whitney said lazily. "Waste of time."

That blew me off. Apparently, Shadow was ticked off at what she said too, because he growled angrily. Adrenaline coursed through my veins. I was going to win this battle!

"Shadow Sucker Punch!"

"Dodge and Rollout!" Whitney's response was a little late and Shadow's speed outmatched Militank's, giving me the upper hand. Unfortunately, both their attacks collided. Shadow looked strained. He would only last another hit or so. I watched as the normal-type Pokémon struggled to get up.

Whitney panicked. "Milky, heal bell now!"

"NO! Shadow use Hypnosis!" The ghost-type Pokémon used it's last bit of energy in sending Militank to sleep. I sighed in relief.

Shadow gave me a weak smile, then fell to the ground. I withdrew him. "You did well." I told the Pokéball, though a part of me wondered whether he heard me.

A red flash of light blinded me slightly as Storm appeared, weary, but ready to fight.

"Storm finish it off with a Steel Wing!"

The steel-type Pokémon shrieked loudly as it dove towards Militank, which lay there, peacefully snoring.

"Milky, get up!" Whitney screamed at her Pokémon. But it was pointless as Militank was knocked out by my Skarmory.

It took me a moment to register what was happening. Militank lay there on the ground, unmoving.

I had won! I had won my second badge! If only I had been able to challenge Bugsy.

There was a glimmer of sadness is Whitney's eyes as she returned her Pokémon and approached me. She handed me a badge and said, "This is the Plain Badge. Congratulations, you won it fair and square." She sounded a bit resentful as she said that.

"You did well too," I reassured her.

"But it wasn't enough was it? I let my pride get ahead of me. But I swear I'll train harder and one day, I'll defeat you." The determination in her eyes as she made that promise, reminded me of my own dream to become a Pokémon trainer.

But how far would I really go?

* * *

><p>"Ugh, why do we have to go through this place? It's full of bugs." I whined as we trudged through the thick undergrowth.<p>

"You were the one who wanted answers, so stop complaining," Morty said without looking back.

The forest was bigger than I expected it to be. Morty had led me through to another path, but personally I thought he was lost. This part of the Ilex forest was much darker than the path Aaron and I had taken to Goldenrod.

My Pokémon were still at the Pokémon center. Morty had been slightly impressed when I told him that I'd won against Whitney, but we'd decided to leave as soon as the battle got over. I hadn't even gotten to eat after I'd come back and now my stomach was grumbling with hunger.

"You're lost, aren't you?" I glared at him with resentment.

"No, I'm not!" Morty snapped back. "I'm pretty sure I know where we're going." It sounded like he said the last part to himself.

I decided to shut my mouth up. The forest was growing even more glum and dreary with every passing minute. I felt as if something was watching my every movement.

After what seemed like an hour, we finally reached dead end. There was a shrine in front of a massive oak tree. It was a simple wooden shrine with a few words written on it and they seemed to be in a different language.

Morty bent down slightly to examine the shrine. "It says 'Welcome to the Shrine of the forest guardian.'"

I frowned. "This isn't the right one. Aaron and I passed it on the way here. How do you know what it says?"

"There must have been people living here a long time back. They must have erased every sign of evidence." He furrowed his brows. "This must be the original shrine. I wish we'd brought Eusine."

"Who's Eusine?" I asked.

"A friend of mine. He knows a lot about history, and he would easily be able to figure out something like this. Now, there's only one thing left to do." With that, he took out a pocket knife from his pocket and nicked his finger with it. I winced slightly as I saw the blood spurt out.

Morty let some of the drops fall to the floor of the shrine. After that he began to recite a prayer or something of the sort. I stared at the shrine while he did so. Morty paused midway and said a final word.

As soon as he said it, we were both blinded by a flash of light. I couldn't see anything.

Then, I heard a voice speaking to me.

_Oh, Zyre, how happy I am to see you again. _The voice sent chills down my spine. But for some reason the voice sounded... familiar to me.

_What a traitor you are! I never expected betrayal, from you of all people. I thought you would be like me, a great trainer! Not a snivelling, disgusting trainer, wasting his time instead of training! _I shivered, the fear growing inside me.

_There is no space for weakness here, no space for people like you. I wish you had died at the start, but I took _PITY _on you and let you live, for the hope that you might succeed me! You think that Pokémon are really just creatures who need to be cared for? That we should live in harmony with them? _ _**NO! THEY ARE JUST TOOLS! **_ The voice roared the last part out. It was too hauntingly familiar.

I felt so much pain. The agony was tearing me from the inside. "LET GO OF ME!" I screamed. I knew who the voice was. The one who had abandoned me when I was a child, left me with my mother. It was my father.

I refused to listen to him. "Pokémon are not tools! You're just a worthless human who only cares about himself! LET GO OF ME!" I repeated.

The voice disappeared and the pain slowly ebbed away. I felt more at peace now even though I could only see blackness all around me.

_You have passed my test. _A faint, melodious voice spoke to me.

"Zyre? Zyre?! Are you alright?" Morty asked, his voice sounding worried.

I slowly opened my eyes and got up. "I-I'm fine."

"What happened? You just fell to the ground and I didn't feel your pulse for a minute." I shook my head, not wanting to say anything. He narrowed his eyes, but let me be.

"I found this moments after you uh.. 'passed out'." He handed me a book. It was a dull brown on the outside, and all the pages were blank on the inside.

He looked at me. "We'll get home first and then talk after you rest. You don't look good." I nodded, feeling pale. He said something else, which I didn't process.

My mind was echoing my father's voice repeatedly. Why was he so disappointed in me? What did he mean by 'letting me live'? But most of all, how did I recognize his voice if I'd never met him before?

* * *

><p><strong>AN-And... cut. Damn, I'm so tired, I feel like someone fried my brain because I spent a lot of time writing the battle scene, so I hope you guys like it. Okay, so I'll update again within the next two weeks. Yeah this chapter was not very long because my classes started AGAIN, but I'm going to see if I can complete the next two chapters within the next two weeks. **** So ... review? :D **


	9. Dream Eater

Chapter Nine- Dream Eater

A/N- I don't own Pokemon.

"Alright Mom, I'll take care of myself." I'd used the Pokemon Center's free video calling service to call her up. "Bye."

She was extremely worried about me. Like I couldn't handle myself.

I mentally snorted at her anxiety. We never exactly got along, but family's family and I guess I would have felt the same way if she had been in Goldenrod when Team Shadows attacked.

But it didn't change the fact that she'd barely been there throughout my childhood. I'd always felt sad when I saw other kids hanging out with their parents. Ethan and Lyra's families were practically my own, but it wasn't the same. My grandfather? He was more of a stranger to me. Sometimes, I can't believe he's actually related to me.

I can't blame it on Mom I guess. She worked hard to support my grandfather and me after my father disappeared.

"Thinking about something?" Aaron's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"No! Er... I mean I was just thinking about the Organization and all," I answered hastily.

Aaron cast a disbelieving look. "You're a bad liar." I was about to protest, but he looked away. "You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to."

I said nothing.

"Anyways... Morty wants us to leave to Hoenn tomorrow." Aaron said, trying to switch the topic. "He said something about Team Shadows and some reinforcements."

"I want to collect the badges first."

Aaron simply shook his head. "Are you crazy? The Organization obviously have some dealings with your Haunter. They'd probably kidnap the two of you are something. Morty even said that they might have Bugsy with them."

The older boy had a point, which I refused to admit. "What about your sister?"

Aaron hesitated for a moment. "She's left for Hoenn too. Morty checked the records and apparently she's been sent to Hoenn, along with some of the other prisoners. There were too many people to take care of, so Hoenn's government volunteered to help."

I could see why Aaron was so anxious to get to Hoenn. I gave in, though I still felt reluctant about it. "Fine."

Happiness was written all over Aaron's face. "Thanks. You don't know how much this means to me."

I got up from my chair. "Well then, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. When's the ship leaving?"

Aaron brought out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. "At 4:30 pm to Petalburg City. DON'T be late. Collect the tickets from me tomorrow." He read out slowly. "Arceus, Morty's handwriting looks like a Psyduck's scribbling."

I leaned over his shoulder to look at it and burst out laughing. It felt good to let go of all the stress that had built up during the past few days.

"I think it's time we get to sleep," Aaron said. I suddenly noticed how tired he looked.

I nodded. "See you tomorrow morning. I'll go get the tickets from Morty myself."

"I'd be grateful for that." Aaron paused for a moment. He looked around, to make sure the few people who were in the room didn't hear us. "Do you think-do you really think that Morty has lied to us all along?"

"What do you mean?" I glanced at him, puzzled.

He looked down at the floor. "Forget it."

I shrugged. "If you say so."

But at the back of my mind his words echoed in my head. _Do you really think that Morty has lied to us all along?_

* * *

><p>I shifted in my makeshift bed. I closed my eyes tightly as past memories flashed before me. Mewtwo talking to me, the masked man, my talks with Morty. I tried to wake up from the 'dream' but it was like I was actually reliving it. The only thing I could feel was the pain that felt like a thousand daggers piercing me. I writhed, trying to struggle my way out, but the grip seemed relentless, so I let go.<p>

My mind was clouded. I felt like I was drowning in a mass of pain, unable to think straight.

The masked man appeared in my mind once again.

_You think the Organization will have pity on your family? Think again! _I could hear his laughter, echoing through my mind. It chilled me to the bones.

It changed once again, except this time it everything was blurry. I could make out a figure smiling down at me, though it looked more like a grimace.

At once, everything turned black. I could move again. I tried to lift myself up, but I couldn't summon the energy to do so. Exhaustion overwhelmed me and sleep crashed down on me like a black wave.

* * *

><p>"I still don't understand why you had to wipe out everything that happened to him over the past few days." Aaron shook his head.<p>

He had been dragged all the way to the National Park just so that Morty could tell him what had happened the previous night. The gym leader refused to give the exact details as to why he had done so anyways.

"If you were in my place, I'm sure you would've done the same thing," Morty said sharply. "Besides, I'd only replaced his memories. According to that version of events, he was just hiding in the base for the past few days, while the rest of us sent Team Shadows flying for help."

Aaron snorted. "You had to use Dream Eater. I think you would have to have a very good reason for doing that."

"Layla agreed with my decision." Layla was Morty's wife, who had easily earned Aaron's respect when he had first met her. If that was what she thought, then he wouldn't protest against Morty's decision anymore.

"Couldn't you just tell me?"Aaron didn't mean to sound whiny; it just came out like that.

"Do you want to put your life in danger? You already owe me a favour for sending your little sister back to your mother. I think I've done enough for you," Morty snapped.

Aaron's eyes fell a little. It was true, Morty had done a lot for everyone in the city the past few days. He had even registered Aaron as a trainer. From the way the ghost-type gym leader looked, Aaron doubted that he even got enough sleep.

Morty noticed the expression on the young trainer's face and he softened a bit. "I'm sorry, but it's getting a little difficult for me to handle everything."

Aaron nodded. "I suppose, if this really is a serious matter, I won't prod you for information anymore."

Morty didn't reply.

"Something bad is going to happen isn't it? The relations between all the regions are unstable and if what the Organization's member said is true, then our entire government will collapse if these attacks continue," Aaron said quietly.

Morty took a deep breath. "Do me a favour. Don't tell Zyre about this or anyone else. He can still unlock those memories. Letting you wander around Hoenn is dangerous enough as it is."

Aaron's eyebrow arched inquisitively. "Why is he so special?"

Morty gazed at the setting sun. "It's not just him; it's Shadow. He has a certain power as you already know." Morty looked back at Aaron.

"He's probably our last hope."

* * *

><p>Yeah tests and all... anyways I've got most of the next chapter ready and it'll be published within... the next two weeks? Then freedom from school for the next 10 days... :D<br>Thanks to cascadenight for letting me use her OC, Layla! :)

Thanks for reading and reviewing. ^_^  
>-DarkTyphlosion<p> 


	10. Legacy

Chapter Ten- Legacy

The sea shimmered as the sun's rays reflected off it. The sand near the coast was damp near the water and I could see a few Krabby resting ashore. Dawn was approaching.

"It looks like we've finally reached Olivine," said a voice behind me. I turned round to look at Aaron, his Houndour sitting obediently at his feet. The fire-type had bonded with his trainer in the little time they'd spent together in Goldenrod and he was never seen without him. Like Shadow, Houndour preferred to stay out of his pokéball.

I'd convinced Shadow to go back into his pokéball and rest after losing to a Magneton. The loss reminded me of what a long way we had to go.

I couldn't remember exactly what had happened in Goldenrod. My memory was hazy. Aaron had told me that there had been some sort of rebellion against Team Shadows, but it'd all been sorted out. Meanwhile, I'd been stuck in the infirmary because of my injuries.

The funny part was that even though there were a few minor scrapes and bruises on my body, nothing major had really happened. There were no visible scars or anything of the sort.

I shrugged. Maybe I was thinking too much. "So what should we do until then? Rent a room? Tour the city?"

"We have enough time on our hands and Houndour isn't really tired yet, so it would be no use going to a Pokémon Center."

"Then we could have a look around the city. Challenge the gym," I said.

Aaron snorted derisively."Really? I hope you've realized that Jasmine isn't exactly a walk in the park. You've lost out on days of training because-"

He suddenly stopped and I saw a brief flicker of hesitation in his eyes.

"Because of what?" I pressed.

"Because of your injury," he finished. "Besides, you haven't even beaten Morty yet. You won't last a minute against her."

I bit my lip, taking his advice into consideration. Maybe he was right. "So what do you suggest we do?"

"Rest for the day. Forget about training, it might be too much for our pokémon to handle." Aaron paused. "You should head for the Hoenn challenge. It's a much safer place and you have the upper hand when it comes to experience."

"Alright. We'll do as you say." I saw a flash of surprise on Aaron's face, but he left it at that.

Relaxing against the warmth of the sand, I listened to the rhthymic waves of the ocean. Tomorrow I might be in a new region. The thought of going to Hoenn scared me and excited me at the same time.

But deep down, I couldn't let go of my sense of uneasiness about the whole. Aaron had begun to act a bit weird and I couldn't help wonder if he was hiding something

-  
>"Darn it, why does it have to be so hot?" I complained.<p>

Aaron eyed me irritably."Stop acting like a kid. We wouldn't be here if you hadn't forgotten to get a map."

"Mistakes happen,"I said defensively.

Aaron rolled his eyes. "Where are we even going?"

"Hm...let's see. We've already got supplies, Shadow is at the Pokemon Center and... yeah that's it I guess."

"So why don't we go to the Glitter Lighthouse? I heard its illuminated just by an Ampharos,"Aaron suggested. He noticed the expression on my face. "Oh right. Forgot, you wanted to go to the Battle Tower."

"I wouldn't, even if I could," I argued. "I'm just not interested in watching an Ampharos light a lighthouse."

Aaron gave me a disbelieving look. "Like I'd fall for that."

"What's your problem?" I questioned him angrily.

"You're my problem! You're only concerned about yourself. Everything is about you!" He snapped at me. "You can't even trust your pokemon!"

That confused me. Of course I trusted Shadow. But hadn't I disliked him earlier? When did the barrier between us vanish? I sure as hell couldn't remember.

I opened my mouth to retort, but he cut me off by saying,"I'm going . Have fun being all alone."

"I didn't need your help anyways!" I yelled after him as he walked away. He ignored me.

I turned to face the center of the city. Despite the fact that it was still early in the morning, there were quite a few people hanging about at the town's central square. Stalls were being set up at the side in preparation for the customers they would get as the day passed.

I cursed under my breath as I remembered that I didn't have a map.I was about to go and ask a stranger for directions, until I remembered that the Pokegear had a map feature. I unhooked it from the side of my belt an examined Olivine City.

Right now, I didn't want to explore the bustling city. Neither did I want to battle anybody.

A walk_,_ I decided. Somewhere peaceful. Maybe I could find my way back to the outskirts of the city. It was quieter there and most trainers would train their pokemon closer to Eucreteak City.

"To Route 39 it is."

The grasslands outside Olivine were bordered at the edge by a forest, sparse with trees after most of them had been cut down for the construction of the city. They were slowing growing back, but it would take years before it returned to normal again. Beyond the forests were steep hills, stretched towards the north.

I had been right when I said that there wouldn't be many trainers. The only trainer I could see was one close to the forests, training her Natu using a tree stump. She looked a bit like a rookie.

A daring urge pressed me to go deeper into the forests, but I had to do it carefully, lest she or anybody else saw me and challenged me to a battle. I did have the right to refuse, but no trainer backs down for the fear of being branded a weakling.

I hurried my way across the grassland and was just a few metres away from where she was training. She must have heard me because she stiffened and glanced around. I pressed myself to the ground and hoped that she wouldn't see me.

The moment she looked away, I sprinted at full speed towards the woods. As I passed, I noticed that the forest became denser until I could only see green around me. It must have been at the heart of the forest.

I slowed down my pace. Leaves crunched beneath my footsteps and the sun glared down.

Recklessness, I thought. It was like being controlled. Except that the adrenaline was still running in my veins.

Right then, a ear-splitting shriek resounded through the air. Instinctively, I released Skarmory from his pokeball and gave him orders to stay hidden in the sky unless called upon.

I quickly made my way through the tangle of thorns and vines in the direction the noise was coming from.

I crept behind an oak tree to see what was going on. Behind the tree was a clearing with a few rocks scattered next to a waterfall, which were wet and covered with moss. The ground was ragged and rough with a few patches of grass growing here and there.

What was most puzzling about the scene was that there were puddles of water _everywhere._ That was, until I saw the Blastoise. Next to the Blastoise was a buff sailor standing over a huddled creature. I recognized the flame on its back. A Quilava.

"Blastoise, use Water Gun on this coward," the man sneered, which looked more like a facial seizure. It nodded and let out a powerful stream of water from its mouth.

The Quilava made a feeble attempt to dodge it but it was to no avail. The fire on its back was waning and I could sense that it barely had any energy left in it.

It would be unwise to call Skarmory as he was not used to this sort of terrain, neither would he be able to do anything much against the powerful Blastoise. I stood there, fear creeping in my heart for the Quilava. Yet I was too scared to do anything either.

"You pathetic excuse for a pokemon," the man snarled with contempt evident in his voice. "Do you know how much you cost me? My winning streak ended and I barely have any money left because you ran away like the coward you are!"

I needed to help it. The man could easily kill me; he certainly didn't seem hesitant to kill the fire-type. It was like I had experienced a similar situation before.

It would die if I left it and the guilt would drive me insane. _I_ would be the coward. Maybe Aaron was right about me being selfish.

"I've had enough of this!" His eyes glowed with rage as the Quilava cowered and let out a pitiful wail. "Blastoise, use Hydro Pump!" The cannons on the water pokemon's back pointed straight at the Quilava. It was now or never. I couldn't let this happen.

"NO!"I shouted and dove towards the Quilava in a desperate attempt to save it. At the same time, the powerful blast of water hit me and I was sent flying towards the rocks. I felt the piercing pain as a jagged edge ripped through the flesh on my arm.

At first, everything seemed blurry. I let Quilava go. Blood trickled down my arm and without looking at it, I knew that it was a deep gash.

Dragging myself to the edge of the waterfall, I plunged my arm into the water. It burned like fury. I stayed like that for a few more minutes. The man had disappeared and so had the Quilava.

At least I thought so, until the small fire-type returned with the trainer I'd seen on the way here.

Her blue eyes widened when she saw the wound on my arm. "What happened?!"

I didn't respond. The flame on the Quilava's back was flickering. It was a bit difficult, but I managed to stand up. I let out a shrill whistle.

I waited for a few seconds until I saw a small speck in the sky that grew larger. Storm landed next to me.

I picked up the Quilava and positioned it comfortably on the Skarmory's back. "Get Quilava to the Pokemon Center as fast as possible." He nodded and shot back into the sky.

I staggered. "You should leave. If-"

"And leave you to die?" she retorted. "If that wound gets infected, it could get serious."

I slumped against a rock. The pain was overwhelming. I couldn't read the expression in her eyes. The Natu came up to me and prodded the wound. I winced. The little bird made a few high pitched noises.

The girl looked at Natu. "Are you sure? Fine, then."

The psychic bird began to glow and I felt the pain slowly reduce to nothingness. Energy flooded through me. The Natu , however, looked extremely exhausted.

The girl returned it to its pokeball. "Come. It's getting late and we haven't much time left before it wears off."

I woke up to find myself in a hospital. The last thing I remember was having something injected in me. Something about stitching up the gash in my arm.

I felt a pang of hunger and looked around. The room was completely white and was devoid of any decorations. There was a bowl of soup at the side, which didn't look too appetizing.

I wore a grey shirt and my red vest was hanging at the side, the pokeballs attached to it. A bandage was wrapped over my left arm. I suppressed an urge to tear it and have a look at how bad the gash really was.

"You might want to have that before it gets cold." I lifted my head up to see Aaron at the doorway.

Gingerly, I took the bowl into my hands. The broth was thin and tasteless. It was a few minutes before either of us spoke again.

"I'm sorry," I blurted out.

He shook his head wearily. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have said those things about you. You aren't selfish."

"No. You were right. Maybe I _do_ act like an immature kid sometimes."

Aaron studied me for a while and smiled. "That you are."

I grinned. "What about the ship?"

"We missed it. I sold the tickets and bought new ones for tomorrow morning. The doctors said they'd let you go since the cut's not as deep as they thought."

"The Quilava?"

"Yeah, I met the girl. She told me that she'd found you bleeding in the middle of the forest."He rolled his eyes. "What was the need to go there?"

"Just felt like it," I said hastily and set the bowl aside. "You didn't answer my question about the Quilava."

"He's fine. Care to tell me what happened?"

I gave him most of the details of what happened. My memory was still a bit foggy. "So what's going to happen to the Quilava?"

"I don't know. You could claim him as your own, now that his trainer's abandoned him. He'll be grateful to you for saving his life," Aaron said.

"He's already repaid the favour," I replied.

Aaron shrugged. "I'll take that for you," he said, pointing to the bowl.

I didn't question him as he took the bowl and left the room. He still seemed to be avoiding me.

_Nine._

A voice echoed through my head. I frowned. It seemed all too familiar. It could just have been my imagination.

_Nine...are...left._

Yes. Late, I know. I actually meant to post this last week, but didn't have the time to type it all out since I'd written most of it during the bio period at my weekend class. :D I've finished most of the next chapter, after which will be the prologue since I want to start the Hoenn journey in another story. It'll be out by the first week of October, perhaps earlier? Reviews are appreciated. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.


	11. Epilogue

Epilogue-

The dark, musty smell of the underground filled his nose as the man made his way through the tunnel. It was barely big enough for him to move, yet it seemed to stretch out endlessly. The light of the torches placed within a few metres of each other was meagre but enough to make out the crude structure. It gave their underground hideout an ancient appearance, as if it had spent centuries lying in the shadows,waiting to be discovered. Of course, there was no denying it hadn't.

His eyes fell upon a large dark stain on the ground. Crouching low, he picked up a pinch of the wet dirt. He held it to his nose and the familiar stench of blood overcame him. He tensed. Something was amiss.

After what seemed like hours, although it was only a matter of minutes, he reached a dead end. He caught a flash of steel at the corner of his eye. Brushing of the dirt that covered a small keypad, he tapped a few buttons before the screen glowed green and a mechanical voice spoke out,"Entry granted."

The earth shook violently as a stone barrier pulled away to reveal a staircase that led up to another door. Or what was left of it anyway. The metal had been ripped away and cast to the side. The scene which greeted him brought an unexpected feeling, one he almost didn't recognize:Fear.

The hi-tech machinery that contained all their research data had been destroyed. Corpses of all the people who'd worked there, were scattered around the room. He counted six or seven bodies in all, Some of their heads were twisted at odd angles, others bore severe burns or gunshots. Their eyes were completely devoid of life.

He desperately searched for any sign of life in them, but he did not feel the familiar beating of their pulses. He was filled with grief. They'd been his colleagues for so long, the thought of never seeing them alive again felt almost.. unnatural. His eyes burned with fury. They'd been discovered and whoever did this was going to pay for it.  
>He didn't need to enter the security code to enter the next room since the hole created in the door was wide enough for him to slip through. Only a massive, strong pokemon would have been able to do this, but the thought of any such pokemon to have been so ruthless and powerful made him shudder.<p>

The door led into a hallway. There were dozens of doors which led to the labs, but they were empty. He struggled to remember the way to the security cabin. They would have footage which would give him a clue as to who'd trespassed.

A few turns down the hallway later, he found himself at the entrance to the cabin. All the tapes had been burnt beyond the point of recovery. The screens had been smashed and the guard lay down, unconscious, but alive. He breathed a sigh of relief and decided to leave him there for the time being. He needed to get to the conference hall, to see if anybody else was alive.

He raced down the corridor and arrived to find that they had somehow bypassed the security to the hall and had left the door open. The room had been swiped clean of everything and was practically empty, save for the table in the middle which had been turned upside down.

"Aiden..." The sound came from the opposite corner of the room.

"Garet!" He rushed over to his olf friend, who lay down, clutching a wound at his stomach. Blood seeped from it, wetting the dark, black shirt he wore. His mask had been broken into two pieces.

Garet groaned weakly. "They came... killed some, took the rest away." He coughed, splattering more blood onto the floor. "Stole the information. All of it. Destroyed the Organization."

Aiden immediately realized who'd carried out this attack. "Giovanni was here, wasn't he?"

Garet gave him an imperceptible nod. "Not much time left for me...now. Archer said they put a tracer on you.. Goldenrod. Sent Eric to capture the ace."

"Don't speak like that." Garet didn't hear him.

Aiden realized this was all his fault. All this carnage was his to blame. He couldn't break now. Not when his friend needed him out. He revered Garet, who was few years his senior and had always looked up to him. There was no way he'd let him die. He took his mask off, Garet mumbling in protest.

He threw a pokeball and released his Alakazam. "Get him to the nearest Pokemon Center. Now," Aiden instructed the psychic pokemon, who gave him an inquisitive look. "I'll stay here and search for any more survivors."

He could see the life leaving Garet's blue eyes with every passing moment. "I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you and the Organization... I promise."

* * *

><p>A gentle breeze blew past us. The sun was going down and the sky was tinted a deep orange. The ship drew nearer to Hoenn as a glimpse of land was visible in the distance.<p>

"Finally," I breathed. The journey had taken a little over six hours and the captain of SS Arcadia had announced that we would be docking in Slateport soon.

Most of the passengers had come up to the deck to admire the view. The deck was crowded with so many people that it was hard to even move.

"What if Team Shadows try to attack Hoenn?" Aaron asked doubtfully.

I rested my elbows on the railing and leaned forward. It was a while before I responded, "I don't think they will. The gym leaders and the Elite Four will have it under control, like they said." I don't know if it was him I was trying to convince, or myself.

Aaron nodded a hint of uncertainty still in his eyes. "I suppose so."

"Relax, man. Hoenn is a safer place."

"A chance to start afresh."

"Yeah...and maybe someday, when things are settled, I'll return and try again." I took out the badges Falkner and Whitney had given me and gazed at them for a few moments before throwing them into the sea, where they landed with a light splash before disappearing underneath the blue mass.

Aaron's eyes flashed with surprise. "Are you nuts?! You just threw your-"

"I didn't deserve them. It feels like I used Shadow for nothing more than getting them. I didn't trust him back then. Now it's all changed."

He gave me a long look before letting out a sigh. "You're one hell of a stubborn idiot, but you know the difference between right and wrong, I'll give you that."

I didn't respond to that. "So what are you going to do once you get there?" I was afraid we'd part ways, with his wanting to be an archaeologist and all.

"You still need somebody older than you with more sense to keep you in line." His face broke into a grin.

I registered what he said and soon his grin was reflected by my own. "It'll be great to have someone along. Besides, I've heard that there are some famous ancient ruins around Hoenn."

Maybe going to Hoenn wouldn't be bad. This journey had already taught me more than I'd ever realise. And hell, with Shadow by my side, I was ready to take on any kind of challenge that came my way.

* * *

><p>I'd scrapped away the previous chapter which was longer, because I didn't feel it was good enough. The reason for my delay. The next segment will be started as new story and thanks for followingfavouriting/reviewing the fic. I'll try to get it up as soon as I can! Adios! :D


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